Podcaster Denied From App Store -Update

Last month I wrote a post about a podcast aggregator for the iPhone that would download podcasts directly to the device. At the time of the post the application was going to be submitted to the App Store a few days afterward. Yesterday comes word from the developer that the application was denied from the App Store. The reason for its exclusion from the App Store is that “Podcaster assists in the distribution of podcasts, it duplicates the functionality of the Podcast section of iTunes” -Apple rep.

The problem is that there is nothing in the terms of service that dissallows the duplication of a feature. There are many applications in the App Store that duplicate the Apple created calculator, or the Yahoo weather widget, or the iPod music app itself.

Although the application isn’t going to be allowed in the App Store the developer has begun to distribute the application using Apple’s AdHoc distribution system. He is only asking for a $9.99 donation and if you want to get your hands on the app you can find it here.

Update: I’ve spent a little bit of time with the app and it works very well. It is very easy to use and incredibly reliable. The next time I plan on spending a weekend away from my laptop this will come in very handy when I want to listen to some new podcasts.

2 Thoughts On “Podcaster Denied From App Store -Update”

Props to Alex (the developer) for distributing it Ad Hoc, but as he mentions, Apple could, at its leisure, remotely axe this thing. I’ve downloaded and installed, and it’s a dream. Well built, seems robust: a ready-for-distribution build. Shame on Apple. Come’on peeps – write to Apple and tell them you think this situation stinks.